Smithsonian American Art Museum
What is SAAM Arcade?
SAAM Arcade is an annual event hosted by the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) that explores how games act as a medium for expanding the way Americans tell and experience stories. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a leader in exploring the impact and artistry of video games and was one of the first art museums in the United States to acquire video games as part of its permanent collection in 2013. Video games create compelling participatory and social spaces imagined by artists and designers and activated by players whose individual interactions are uniquely required to complete the experience. SAAM Arcade emphasizes this aspect of video game appreciation by encouraging engagement among independent developers, gamers and new audiences.
About the Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is home to one of the most significant and inclusive collections of American art in the world. Its artworks reveal America’s rich artistic and cultural history from the colonial period to today. The museum has been a leader in identifying and collecting significant aspects of American visual culture, including photography, modern folk and self-taught art, Latinx art, work by African American artists, and video games. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube or visit us at americanart.si.edu.